Final Fantasy: The Crystal's Call
by Ian Reid
Summary: An homage to all the games in one story. The fate of the world rests upon the shoulders of friends to rekindle the light of the Crystals in time of imminent war.


Final Fantasy:  
The Crystal's Call  
By  
Ian Gainsborough

Author's Note: Hironobu Sakaguchi once said, "I don't think I have what it takes to make a good action game. I think I'm better at telling a story." In the same sense, I have no other talent except in telling a story. So, therefore, I will give you what I am good at. I will tell a story.

Chapter 1: The Way to the City

The sun filtered through the leaves gave the forest an eerie yet pleasant emerald glow. The boy strode along the dirt trail with a long gait to match his unusually long legs. He came to a stop in a small clearing where the sun shone brightly. His eyes darted about the faded worn parchment unfolded in front of him and held in hands covered in worn fingerless leather gloves.

"Let's see," he said to himself. He wore a pair of dark blue pants and a black shirt. He pushed his yellow-tinted glasses up the bridge of his nose. "The old man said the forest road leads to Treno or Onrac depending on the fork I take. But I haven't seen a fork in the road yet. Must be a little further down."  
But as the boy went to take another step, the hissing of steel escaping its sheath stopped him, and a sword's blade rest on his left shoulder.

"Not another step."

It was a lower voice, perhaps older than the boy.  
"Your money. Hand it over if you value whatever life you have."  
The boy exhaled through his nose, closing his blue eyes momentarily and twisted himself out from under the blade. He held his hands together, creating a small glowing sphere with a strain. He thrust his right hand outward, bracing it at the wrist with his other and hurled the sphere at his assailant.

"Fire!" the boy shouted. In a blast, the sphere connected and set the figure ablaze. In a sudden writhing scream, the figure was on the ground, rolling to douse the flame that covered his chest. The boy had a better look at his assailant now. He was stronger built, with the leather cuirass scorched where the Fire spell had connected over a red tunic. His brown hair was wild and spiked outward in various points. He looked at the boy with green eyes wide with fury.

"What's your problem!" the assailant exclaimed.  
"Hey, you threatened me, first," said the boy, throwing up his hands in defense. "I just did what I was supposed to do!"  
"You set fire to every person you meet?"  
"Only the stupid ones who try to mug me!"  
"Say that again, jack-ass!"

The boy sighed again. "I have no time for this," he said. "You know, I would have already been in Treno by now. But apparently I'm going to have to camp out tonight, thanks to you."  
"Oh, so it's my fault," said the assailant.  
"Yeah," said the boy. "It is, as a matter of fact." The assailant blinked for a moment in thought.  
"You're a Black Mage, aren't you?"  
"Took you long enough to realize it," the Black Mage scoffed.  
"Oh, hey, I'm just a Fighter," the assailant said defensively. "Not too good in terms of intelligence, you know."  
"It shows," the Black Mage said, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose again. "Look, the longer I stay out, the darker it gets. And this forest is brimming with beasts at night. I'd rather be in a city, where it's safe."

"Not until you give me your money!" said the Fighter insistently. He raised his sword in challenge. The Black Mage rolled his eyes. The sky was beginning to dim into the twilight already and soon sounds rose up from around them both.  
"You are one persistent bastard," Black Mage sighed. "Look, if I give you money, will you tell how to get to Treno?" The Fighter paused a moment.  
"Down this path, left fork leads out of the forest," said the Fighter. "Follow the river for a while, you can't miss it."  
"Thank you," said the Black Mage. He reached into his pocket, and tossed a couple gold coins towards the Fighter. And thusly the Black Mage continued down the trail.

After several hours, the Black Mage had finally come to the fork in the road. The moon began to slide into the sky. The moon's argent gaze through the trees gave everything a cold yet holy aura to their surfaces.  
"Alright, left fork to leads to Treno," the Black Mage said to himself. "Got it."

His next step didn't carry him very far.

The forest shuddered under the crashing steps that echoed. Before the Black Mage, a dragon emerged from the trees beside the forked path. The Black Mage gaped in awe. It straddled the path, and its dark green scales rattled and clattered with its movements. Its head was crowed with five points swept back against its neck as part of its plate. When it opened its mouth, with teeth long and white like dagger blades. Its wings folded across its back to move through the constricting confines of the forest with ease.

"Hey!" Quickly coming out of his stupor, the Black Mage turned to see the Fighter racing up the trail with his sword drawn.  
"What now?" asked the Black Mage. The Fighter came to a stop, propping himself on his knees in exhaustion.  
"Forgot…to mention…the dragon," the Fighter wheezed. The Black Mage rolled his eyes.  
"Oh, _now_ you tell me," he said. "Should have warned me _before_ I left!"  
"Hey, I'm here to help," replied the Fighter. The dragon growled, bringing both around to look up at the dragon.  
In the moonlight, the dragon didn't rise very high past the trees. But its scaly plates glistened and reflected the moonlight like a dingy and dusty mirror. It let out a bellow once more and lowered its reptilian head towards the ground. Black Mage and Fighter leapt back as it advanced.

"Stand back; this is going to get hairy," said the Black Mage. He focused his hands like he did with his Fire spell. He thrust his right hand forth and braced it at the wrist with his other. There was a fizzle, a pop, and a sputter.

Black Mage's face was priceless.

"Sonnuvabitch!" he exclaimed. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and drew from his belt a long knife. Fighter held his sword out ready.  
"Better be ready," said the Fighter. "Because I'm gonna be bring the crazy!" In a dash, the Fighter slashed his blade against the dragon's snout. There was a splash of sparks, and the dragon lifted its head tossing Fighter and weapon back.

"Idiot!" shouted Black Mage. "The dragon's head and neck have the thickest scales! Wait for it to lift its head and strike its chest!" Sure enough, the dragon lifted its head and the Mage rushed in jamming his knife in between the bands that made up the dragon's underbelly scales. The dragon roared in pain. It swiped at the annoying pest, knocking the Mage back and off his feet.  
"I get it now," said Fighter. "Like this?" he rushed in and stabbed in the same area as the mage specified. The dragon bellowed again and swiped a claw at the Fighter knocking him back. Again, the Dragon lowered its head towards the ground and opening its maw. It unleashed a blast of fire that struck both Mage and Fighter.

"You all right?" the Fighter asked, seeing the Mage collapse to one knee.  
"I don't feel too lucky right now," was his response. The fighter rummaged through the courier bag he had and pulled out a small glass vial. Inside swished a transparent red liquid. He tossed it to the Black who proceeded to drink it. There was a glow of light and the Mage was back on his feet again.  
"That's more like it!"

The dragon raised its head to expose its chest once more and the Mage took the chance to get in a lucky stab for its vitals. The fighter charged in, and delivered one more blow that felled the beast. It came down in a thunderous crash, stilling the forest once more in silence. Both teammates panted seeing their handiwork. From underneath the scales of the great beast spilled little gold coins and a pair of copper bracers.

"Didn't think such a beast would have as much as 120 Gil on it," said the Mage after counting the coins as he scooped them into his purse. "This'll be more than enough to stay at the Inn."  
"I don't think so," said the Fighter as he snatched the purse away. "This is the money you owe me, remember?"

"Isn't the 10 Gil I gave you enough?" asked the Mage.  
"Nope. It's chump-change in my book."  
"You're being a real ass about this, I hope you know."  
"I'm aware. Wait, what?"

The Black Mage massaged his forehead in thought.

"OK, how about this," he said, "I give you 50 of this Gil and I keep the rest. That's fair enough." After a moment of processing this, the Fighter nodded.  
"Sounds fair enough." After divvying up the money, the Black Mage went off down the left fork with the Fighter in tow.  
The Black Mage sighed in relief as the night air presented itself in the sound of a rushing river. He turned to the Fighter and nodded to him.  
"Well, even though you were a jackass, I have to thank you for seeing me to the other side of the Forest." And the Black Mage turned to leave the Fighter at the path.

The Fighter followed.

"I think I'll come along just to make sure you don't get yourself into anymore trouble," said the Fighter. The Black Mage didn't expect this, and nearly tripped over himself. He looked him over.  
"You got a name?"  
"Flyje."  
"I'm Raennis."


End file.
